Town Hall · Independence

Independence, MO town hall & government

Independence spent $250.5 million in the year to June 30, 2023, about $2,052 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Independence's government.

Local leadership

Who runs Independence

Rory RowlandMayorSince 2022 Wikidata ↗ Out of date? Sign in to tell us

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Independence's money goes

Spent
$250.5 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2023
Per resident
$2,052
typical Missouri cities: $1,867
Long-term debt
$449.9 million
$3,685 per resident
Water & other utilities
$129.9 million52%
Police
$33.8 million14%
Fire
$25.3 million10%
Sewer & trash
$21.5 million9%
Interest on debt
$18.7 million7%
Parks & libraries
$7.5 million3%
Housing & development
$5 million2%
Roads & transportation
$4.2 million2%
Administration & buildings
$2.8 million1%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$1.7 million1%
Other
$40,000<1%

Where the money comes from

  • Utility sales 54%
  • Sales taxes 26%
  • Fees & charges 16%
  • Property taxes 3%
  • Other taxes & licenses 1%
  • Interest, fines & other 1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Independence

Full-time staff
876
57 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$90,300
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
202
and 169 full-time firefighters
Police
236 full-time2 part
Fire
178 full-time1 part
Water & other utilities
178 full-time
Parks & libraries
44 full-time44 part
Sewer & trash
56 full-time
Administration & buildings
35 full-time
Roads & transportation
30 full-time1 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
28 full-time2 part
Housing & development
9 full-time1 part
Health & welfare
6 full-time
Other
76 full-time6 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Independence didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Independence 30 School District

Independence's K–12 school district, shared with Sugar Creek. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$12,949
Missouri: $14,569
Students
14,168
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$147.4 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Missouri districts overall: 54% local, 35% state, 11% federal

  • Local 42%
  • State 45%
  • Federal 13%

Of the $12,949 per pupil, $6,422 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Also serving Independence: Fort Osage R-I School District ($13,905 per pupil) · Blue Springs R-IV School District ($13,612 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Independence pay

Typical tax bill
$1,914
a year · Missouri typical $1,948
Effective rate
1.11%
of home value · Missouri 0.85%
Typical home value
$172,900
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Independence's government

🏛️ Official websiteindependencemo.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Independence →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Independence

Independence is represented in Congress by Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt and Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, Sam Graves and Mark Alford. Mike Kehoe is governor.

All of Independence's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Independence

Missouri · MO
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